Liquid-meter.



WI TNESSES:

PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

J. W. LEDOUX & N. Z. BALL.

LIQUID METER.

AEPLIOATIOH FILED APR. 20, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEI1T 1.

INVENTORS y ZUM No. 872,436. PATENTED DEG. 3,1907. J. w. LE-DOUX & N. Z.BALL.

LIQUID METER.

AYPLIGATIOK TILED APR. 20, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. LEDOTTX, OF SWARTHMORE, AND NORMAN Z. BALL, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYL VAN IA, ASSIGNORS TO SIMPLEX VALVE & METER CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A

LIQUID-mama.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filedlApril 20.1966. Serial No. 312,844.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN W. LEDOUX, residing at Swarthmore, in thecounty of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, and

INORMAN Z. BALL, residing at Philadelphia,

reference to the following descri tion and the accompanying drawings inilustration 20 thereof, of which: v

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of our invention. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation representing a modification in the construction ofthe contact mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents asectionalelevation of a further form of our invention, and Fig. 4 is asectional elevation representing a modification in the construction ofthe contact mechanism shown in Fig. 3. 1

Referring to the drawings, a conduit 1, with the conical sections 2 and3 contracting to, a throat 4, has a tube 5 connected to a normal sectionand a tube 6 connected to the throat thereof, the tops of the tubesbeing connected by a .U-shaped reservoir comprising the tube 7 connectedwith'the to of the tube 5 and the tube 8'connected wit the top of thetube 6 by a conicalchamber 9 or 10, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, or by acglindrical or rectangu ar chamber 11, as s own in Fig. 3. A liquid, asmercury, heavier than that to be measured, aswater,

is contained in the reservoir and its respec tive columns are subjectedto the pressure communicated from the normal and contracted sections ofthe conduit through the respective connecting tubes, the mercury 'in thechamber as the velocity of the flow through the conduit increases due tothe increasing difference between the pressures at the normal andcontracted parts of the Venturi section of the conduit. 1

-As shown in Fig. 1, a conducting wire or lating stufling 13 in theclosed top of the chamber 9 and is connected with a disk 14 whichoscillates on an axis 15 through avconstant are, the wire having thetension weights 16 and 17 thereon.

To effect the oscillationof-the disk, a rod slender rod 12 reciprocatesthrough an insu- 18 is connected thereto on the opposite side vessel 19provided with a valve 20'for opening and closing a port 21 in the bottomthereof. The upper part of the rod has a l of the arbor from the part 12and carries a stop 22 thereon and works in a guide 23 in the path of thestop, the lower end of the rod extendin beneath the vessel andbeingprovided wit a piston 24 which works in a dash pot 25. The vessel has apipe 26 as to enter a pipe 27, and the va ve 20 has a stem 28 extendingdownwardly therefrom through the pipe 26, while the pipe 27 has a stop29 therein for enga ing first the stem 28 to lift the valve 20 on thenthe pipe 26 to checkthe vessel in its downward movement. A pipe 30,having an apertured cap 31 screwed on the end thereof, delivers water ata constant rate to the vessel 19 from a spill basin 32 which is ke tconstantly full. As the water clock thus ormed will be reciprocatedthrough a definite s ace at a constant rate by the filling andischarging of the vessel through the mechanism described, the disk14will be oscillated and will reciproextending downwardly from the ort21 so cate the conductor 12 through a. definite space at a constantrate. v

, Fulcrumed on the axis 15 is a lever 33 hav-' in a weight 34'on one endthereof and on theother an electromagnet 35. The electromagnet has, anarmature supported by the pivot 37 carried by the lever and on thearmature is a pawl orclutch 38 for engaging the disk 14. A source ofelectric energy as a battery 39 is connected by the conductor 40 throughthe electromagnet 35 with the conductor 12 and by a conductor 41 withthe mercury in the chamber 9, as by a connection with the chamber wallof conducting mate;

rial. A 'clu'tch42 carried byfthe'lever 33 runs against the face of thegear wheel 43 re- .volving. on the axis 15 and operating a re 'smovemento "the lever in one direction and 46 of the rod, the pin havin a head 47there- 1t and the register in the movement of the le "ver in theopposite direction.

When there is no flow through the conduit, the pressure exerted throughthe respective tubes 5 and 6 on the corresponding mercury columns willbe the same and the mercury will fall to its lowest level in the chamber9, at which position the reciprocating conductor 12 does not makecontact therewith, its circuit remains open, the lever is not engaged tothe oscillating disk-and the register is inactive. Flow through theconduit causes the mercury to rise in the chamber so that the recirqcating-conductor makes contact therewit closes-its circuit, excitesthe electromagnet, operates the armature to clutch the lever to the diskuntil the circuit is broken by the upward movement of conductor andmoves the register a distance proportional to the rise of the mercury inthe chamber which is pro ortional to the rate of flow through the conuit.

It will be understood that the sha e of the chamber is madeto'correspond to t e equation re resenting the difference in pressureexerte at the normal and contracted sections of the conduit at differentrates of flow.

The contact mechanism shown in Fig. 1

may be modified as shown in Fi 2. Here.

the vessel 10 contains a float 42 connected to a slenderrod 42" whichreciprocates through the stufling 43 in the closed topof the chamber,while the weight 6 carries a ide 44 for a pin 45 reciprocating thereinand adapted to make contact with the head I on whichmakes contact wit astop 48 on the guide. When the mercury in the chamber is at its lowestlevel, the pin in its lowermost position does not make contact with thehead of the rod and the circuit remains open. But when the mercury risesin the chamber the circuit is closed by the downward movement of the/pinmaking contact with the head andis broken by the rise of the pin, therate of the meter depending on the interval of contact,.

which depends on the .rateof flow and the epnsequent height of mercuryin the cham- As shown in Fig. 3, there may beused a' float chamber 11having parallel elements in axis 53. The float 49 is counter-balanced bya conical bod 54, connected by a cord or wire 55 with t e disk andsuspended thereby in a vessel 56 containin' mercury or other suitablefluid, the vessel "avin a branch or. tube 57 extending upwardly lrom apoint near the'bottom thereof.

On the axis 53 is mounted an oscillatinglever 58 connected with a clock59 by which vessel 56 having conducting connection with the liquidtherein, while a conductor 69 connects the source of energy with theconductor 70 depending from the lever into the tube 57, a tension weight71 being attached to the lower end ofthe conductor 70 to hold it in thevertical line.

When there'is no flow in the conduit the mercury in the chamber 11 fallsto its lowest level and the float 49 raises the body 54 to .its highestposition of least submergenceoso that the mercury in the tube 57 willfall toits l 6 lowest level, when the conductor-70 fails tomake contactwith the mercury so that the circuit remains open and the registerinactive. When there is flow in the conduit the mercury in the chamber11 rises with the m crease 1n the velocity of flow, liftingthenewith thefloat 49 and lowering the body 54, the latter being so shaped that itsdisplacement'raises the surface of the liquid proportionately to thechange in the velocity offlow in the conduit. Consequently the higherthe velocity offlow the longer dis-H00 tance through which thegscillating lever 58 will, by the engagement of the armature 62" withthe disk 64, move theregister at each oscillation, the movement of theregister ceasing upon the release of the armature 62 when the circuit isbroken in the upwal. movement of the conductor 70.

The contact mechanism shown in Fig. 3*may I be modified as shown in Fig.4, where the vesisel 71 contains the conical body 72, having a contact"member 73', suspe1ided' by the wire 'or' cord 55 from the disk 52, Whilethe lever 58 carries the conductor 74 provided with a guide 75 in whichreciprocates a' in or rod '7 6 adapted to make contact with t e part 73,

the pin having a head 77 which engages astop 78 of the guide. The bodyis so shaped that its fall, due to the rise of velocity of flow in the.conduit, will be pro ortional thereto and so that the interval of c osedcircuit decreases therewith. When the flow is zero the body 72 will beat its-highest position, at which time the rise of the lever 58 will notbreak the circuit and when the flow is highest the circuit remains openlongest.

The electromagnet 61 on the lever 58 acts upon an armature 7.9 pivotedon the pin 80 and having a pawl or clutch 81 thereon which positivelengages the disk 64 through the action 0 a weight 82 as thelever movesit downward and slips as it is moved upward, I indicating mechanism, toactuate the latter,

the electro-magnet drawing back the ture to disengage the awl when thecircuit is closed. Consequently the distance through which the disk andthe register will be moved at each downward oscillation of the pawl willbe proportional to the length of time the circuit is open which isproportional to the velocity of flow in the conduit.

Having described my invention I claim:

. 1. A meter comprising a column of liquid variable with variations inthe flow to be measured, a circuit adapted to be made and broken duringintervals varying with variations in said column and means whereby saidcircuit is made and broken.

2. A nieter comprising a column of liquid variable with variations inthe flow to be measured, electrical 'mechanism having a, circuit with areciprocating contact, means whereby said circuit is made and broken andapparatus whereby the intervals of making and breaking the circuit varywith variations in said column.

3. A meter comprising an indicating mechanism, a device alternating in apath of movement at regular intervals,ap aratus for engaging anddisengaging said evice with relation to said mechanism, electricalmechanism for operating said a paratus and means whereby a flowing liquiregulates the action of said electrical mechanism.

4. A meter com rising an indicating mechanism, an osc' atingmechanismyan electromagnet, means whereby said electromagnet engages anddisengages said oscillating mechanism with relation to said indicatingmechanism, a circuit connected with said electromagnet, and means comrising a column of liquid for making and reaking sald circuit.

5. A meter comprising a fluidconduit, a reservoir connects with saidconduit and containing a fluid heavier than the fluid in said conduit,an indicating mechanism, an

arma- HGSSGS- oscillating lever, apparatus for engaging and disengagingsaid ever in relation to saidi and electrical mechanism under control ofthe fluid in said reservoir for operating said apparatus. r

6. A meter having, in combination with a fluid conduit and a fluidcolumn connected therewith, an indicating mechanism, and means foroperating said indicating mechanism at a rate variable with variationsin said column, said means comprising a circuit witha reciprocatingcontact.

7 A meter comprising a pair of oscillating members, an electromagnethaving an armature with means for engaging said oscillating memberstogether, and a reciprocating circuit making and breaking contactconnected with said electro-magnet.

8. A meter comprising a pair of members each having an alternatingmovement, means for effecting the alternating movement of one of saidparts at regular intervals, electrical mechanism for engaging the otherof said parts to said regularly moving part, and a circuit for saidelectrical mechanism, said circuit comprising a reciprocating contactand a fluid column.

9. A meter comprising a fluid conduit, a

pressure reservoir having a chamber containing a fluid heavier than thatin said conduit, a slenderdevice reciprocating through an osc atingdevice su porting said slender device, a second osc" ating device, anelec' tromagnet having an armature with means for engaging. one of saidoscillating devices to the other, a circuit comprising a rec procatingcontact, and a fluid column variable with the flow through said conduit.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our. names this 18th day ofApril, A. 1906, in the presence of the subscrlbmg wit- JOHN W.,LEDOUX.NORMAN Z. BALL. Witnesses: ROBERT JAMES EAnLEY, Jos. G. DENNY,"Jr.

iglpening in the top of said chamber, an-

